Job Description

Qualifications

Title of the Position: Roster for National Consultant - Mental Health Specialist

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in the advertised roster. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments; however, contracting of rostered candidates is not guaranteed.

1. Purpose of consultancy

The overall objective of the assignment is to support the Provinces (and their respective districts) and municipalities in implementing National Mental Health Care Program 2022 by strengthening the provision of focused mental health services, providing mentoring and supervision to mhGAP trained health workers, and managing referral care and follow up services through district-level general hospitals.

2. Background

Nepal is part of WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health since 2021. The Ministry of Health and Population has endorsed a multi-year logical framework to effectively implement the WHO Special Initiative of Mental Health in Nepal. The workplan has focused to strengthen health systems and services to leverage the implementation of the National Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan 2020 substantially.

The Government of Nepal has been integrating mental health into general health services. Substantial efforts have been given to integrate mental health into primary health care settings. Almost all the districts have been implementing mental health programs with partial coverage. However, evaluations of previously implemented activities in Nepal have shown that stronger supervision, mental health workforce expansion and retention, and access to brief psychological interventions are necessary to maintain the quality of services intended by this work.

Similarly, the tertiary care has also been strengthened, especially through the Psychiatry Departments of the medical colleges established in different parts of the country. In addition, the major Government hospitals across the country also are gradually expanding mental health teams and services.

Mental health care at district level province hospitals has not expanded satisfactorily. The weaker secondary care has resulted in gap in the necessary mentoring, supervision, and support to the primary care interventions. Therefore, the quality of care provided through primary care approach has been affected.

Considering this programmatic bottleneck, the new National Mental Health Program 2022 has focused on strengthening mental health care at secondary hospitals. To support this, through WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health, 10 district level province hospital provided once-a-month psychiatry clinic in 2023 and 2024. Now, the ministry is setting up a dedicated psychosocial counselling desk at all hospitals with a mental health nurse or a counselling nurse. To complement this, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division and WHO Nepal is preparing to continue periodic psychiatry clinics in selected district across the country.

3. Deliverables

The following are the tasks for the Mental Health Specialist :

Conduct monthly Mental Health OPD in district hospital to provide referral care for the referred cases from primary care team in the district. In addition, the specialist will also organize a supervision session among district team on implementing team chronic care model with continuity of care, referral co-ordination and community out-reach
Guide psychosocial nurses/ health workers who provide mental health counselling services at district/provincial hospitals
Serve as a trainer in 2 mhGAP training sessions organized by government (EDCD, NHTC/Provincial Health Training Centers) and/or WHO. The training sessions will be 4 or 5 days each for two sessions.
Organize virtual case conference-based supervision in a small group of 5-10 providers every month. This will require up to 5 sessions to cover all mhGAP trained doctors and paramedics in the district.
Establish moderate communication platforms (e.g., social media groups) of health care providers from the districts and municipalities to guide and mentor the team of primary care providers

4. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: MBBS and MD in Psychiatry

Desirable: mhGAP Training of Trainers

Experience

Essential: At least 2 years of clinical experience in mental health

Desirable: Experience working at subnational level (Provinces/Districts)

                  : Experience working in referral hospitals near to the implementing districts, including
                    experience in providing psychiatric services, mentoring, supervision and
                     referral/follow-up care.

Skills/Knowledge:

General computer skills such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc and excellent spoken and written skills on Nepali and English

5. Location

Kathmandu and/or Provincial headquarter; travel once a month to any of the implementing districts below in the Province:

1. Bajhang

2. Kailali

3. Achham

4. Dailekh

5. Jajarkot

6. Bardiya

7. Kapilvastu

8. Myagdi

9. Tanahu

10. Rasuwa

11. Sindhupalchowk

12. Bara

13. Siraha

14. Udaipur

15. Bhojpur

16. Panchthar

*The proposed sites may be revised, as necessary, taking into consideration the needs and priorities of flood-affected areas.

6. Travel

The consultants are expected to travel to assigned districts in the province every month for 1 day for clinical mentoring/supervision and referral care.

7. Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

a. Remuneration: NPR 9,900 per day

b. Expected duration of contract: 4-6 days a month depending on the case load and number of health care workers to be supervised, for 11 months with possibility of extension with additional 10 days as a trainer.

Additional Information:

· This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

A written test may be used as a form of screening.
If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

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The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.

WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
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